Composite chassis body structure



Oct. 27, 1936. K EVANS 2,058,580

COMPOSITE CHASSIS BODY STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /4% 25 I n [/5 2 I 4 2 25 Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,058,580 COMPOSITE CHASSIS poor STRUCTURE Ronald K. Evans, Russelsheim-on-the-Main,

Germany, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application August 5, 1935, Serial No. 34,743 In Germany December 3, 1934 7 Claims. (Cl. 180-64) This invention relates to a self-sustaining ve-' oscillatable lever 25 of the front wheels 26, likehicle body for automotive vehicles, the body being wise the necessary parts (not shown) for the so constructed that the body forms at the same steering of the wheels. time the underframe of the vehicle. The under- The motor I is positioned on the longitudinal 5 frame is suitably made of a main frame of the supports l2. This is accomplished by means of a 5 width of the vehicle body, and front and rear transverse support l6 which passes through the smaller frames on which the wheel axles, the moengine block as at 21 and is bolted onto the lontor, etc., are mounted. This manner of construcgitudinal supports I2 as shown at 28. To the tion makes possible an especially simple and inengine block l5 there are secured in a known 10 expensive producton of the vehicle body; it has, way the clutch 20 and the transmission 2|, the 10 however, the disadvantage that in case of damlatter being separably connected with the Cardan age to the front frame as a result of collision, etc., shaft 23 by a connection 22. The rear support of the entire vehicle frame must be disassembled the engine block is not indicated for reasons of and the damaged part replaced. However undeclearer illustration. It may be carried out in sirable this may be, nevertheless such damaging any suitable way. 15 occurs relatively frequently and appreciably in- A flanged and bolted connection l8 serves recreases the cost of maintenance of the vehicle. leasably to connect the front frame l2, l2, l3 The object of the invention is, therefore, the with connecting members H which are welded as building of the self-supporting vehicle with the at 29 to the tubular transverse support II. In retention of its composite underframe in such a order to take care of bending and torsional re- 20 way that an easy replacement of a badly damquirements there is provided still a second conaged longitudinal support of-the front part of the nection with the longitudinal supports, this convehicle frame is made possible. nection beingformed of tubular parts which are Ae 0rd to the invention, the front underwelded at 30 to the supports Ill and connected to 5 frame Carrying the motor and front axle is septhe longitudinal supports 12 by means of releasab y connected to the main frame, which aeable gusset or flanged connections 3|. By means tually carries the vehicle body frame. The sepaof the above described manner of connection of rable connectionisso applied that the front frame the front frame to the main frame it is possible t e W the motor y be removed from to remove the front frame after disconnecting the underframe as a unit- This h s th dithe flanged connections l8, l9, 3|, and the con- 30 tional advantage that repairs to the motor may nection 22 of the transmission 2| with the Cardan be made without removing or disassembling the shaft, 23, motor. The species of Figures 3-7 inclusive relates to a The d a Show tWO Species of e e t further improvement of the described arrange- Figure 1 is a P View Of the front end Of ment. The engine block is no longer positioned 35 vehicle frame. on a specific transverse support but upon the Figure 2 is a detail of the connection between support for the front wheels. Additionally, how- 'the f ont frame and the main frameever, it is so united with the vehicle body framing gu e 3 is a P View Similar to Figure 1 a that it may be removed from the vehicle frame 40 modification. along with the front axle and the longitudinal 40 Figure 4 is a side view of the structure of Figupports of t foreframe ure 3 with the Whee s springing unit removed- The mounting of the engine block on the front Figure 5 is a detail the connection between axle according to the invention has the advantage the front and main framesthat the assembly of the entire vehicle is made Figures 6 and 7 are sectional detains of the appreciably easier, and it is at the same time 45 mounting m the real end the engme possible to place the vehicle body as a whole on The longitudinal supports to, together with the the vehicle while the engine block and the tubular transverse supports II and other transverse supports (not shown) form the main frame Cardan shaft are mounted on h wheel of the underframe. Secured to the main frame is portsthls way the Same assemb Y 5 the front frame, composed of the longitudinal obtained as in the case of vehhfles which have supports l2 and the front axle t3, the latter being body separable from t e chassls. .adjustably secured in a known way in bearings I4 1 contra-St t0 the Species of Figures 1 d 2 in the longitudinal supports. The front axle l3, this advantage is gained, that all the component moreover, carries the spring housings 24 and the parts of the framing are first of all positioned in 5 from below to the vehicle body.

The longitudinal supports of the main frame are designated by I, the front transverse support by 2, the tubular members for the stiffening of the connection of the longitudinal supports of the foreframe by 3 and 4.

The transmission housing 5, clutch housing 6, and engine block 1 are combined in a single housing in the usual way. The engine block is mounted at its front on the axle 8 of the front wheel assembly. For this purpose a plate 9 is welded to the axle 8. On the plate 9 there is mounted a basketlike support So, with a transverse support 91) for the reception of a bearing head 90 which serves to position the stud Ia secured to the housing. A loop 911 to support the hood is secured to the support 9a.

For the housing 5 a rear mounting is provided so that the withdrawal of the engine block from the front is possible. The details of this mounting are shown in Figures 6 and 7. To the housing 5 a ring 32 is bolted over which there is applied a rubber ring 33 which may be united with the ring 32 by vulcanization. For the mounting of the ring 32 there is used a second ring 43 which is provided with members 34. The ring 43 is placed over the rubber ring 33 and may or may not, as desired, be vulcanized thereto. By means of these members the ring 43 may be united to the supporting arms 35 which are welded to the transverse support 2.

The connection between the axle and the longitudinal supports 36 of the foreframe is made through bearing brackets 31 bolted to the supports. On the axle 8 there are turnably mounted at 8a in the usual way the spring housings 24 in which the swinging levers 25 for the wheels 26 are arranged. The securing bolts for the locating brackets 31 also serve to secure the stiffening member 38 secured to the windshield frame 39.

The longitudinal supports 36 are separably connected to the transverse supports by means of locating brackets 40 and 4|. 0n the tubes 3 and 4 opposed flanges 3a and 4a are welded and these flanges may be united by bolts.

With the described arrangement it is now possible, after disconnecting the flanges 3a and 4a and the brackets 40 and 4|, to remove the'longitudinal supports and the engine block forwardly from the underframe. On the other hand, by disconnecting the brackets 31, it is also possible to raise the underframe and the body built thereon.

I claim:

.1. In a frame construction for vehicles, separable front and rear frame portions, said front portion comprising two longitudinals and a front transverse connection, said rear frame portion including two longitudinals and a transverse connecting member, the longitudinals of the rear frame portion extending forward beyond the ends of the longitudinals of the front frame portion, connecting members extending inwardly from the rear longitudinals, connecting members extending outwardly from the front longitudinals, said inwardly and outwardl'y connecting members abutting and being secured together, and means to secure the longitudinals of the front frame portion to the transverse connecting member of the rear frame portion.

2. In a frame construction for vehicles, separablefront and rear frame portions, said front portion comprising two longitudinals, a transverse brace and an axle, stiffening members inclined upwardly and rearwardly from the front frame portion, common means to secure the longitudinals, axle and the ends of the stiffening members together, said rear frame portion including two longitudinals and a transverse member, means to interconnect the longitudinals of the frame portions to each other, and means to connect the transverse member of the rear frame portion to the longitudinals of the front frame portion.

3. In combination with a vehicle frame comprising a rear frame and a separable foreframe having lateral longitudinals, means connecting the front and rear ends of the longitudinals, a front wheel assembly including an axle removably and rigidly secured directly to the foreframe, an engine mounted at one end on the axle, and means to mount the other end of the engine.

4. In combination with a vehicle frame comprising a rear frame and a separable foreframe having lateral longitudinals, means connecting the front and rear ends of the longitudinals, a front wheel assembly including an axle removably and rigidly secured directly to the foreframe, an engine mounted atone end on the axle, means to mount the other end of the engine, a windshield frame, stiffening members connected to the windshield frame and extending to the foreframe and secured to the longitudinals.

5. In a vehicle frame, in combination, a rear frame, a foreframe, means separably to connect the fore and rear frames, an axle removably and rigidly connected to the foreframe, an engine mounted at one end on the axle, a transmission housing rigid with said engine, a ring secured to the housing; a second ring secured to the rear frame and surrounding the first ring to support the transmission, and a resilient cushion between said rings.

6. In a vehicle frame, in combination, a. rear frame, a foreframe, means separably to conmet the fore and rear frames, an axle removably and rigidly connected to the foreframe, an engine mounted at one end on the axle, a transmission housing rigid with said engine, and means resiliently to support the transmission housing and the other end of the engine from the rear frame.

7. In a vehicle frame, in combination, a rear frame, a foreframe, means separably to connect the fore and rear frames, an axle removably and rigidly connected to the foreframe, an engine mounted at one end on the axle, a transmission housing rigid with said engine, a ring secured to the housing, a second ring surrounding the first ring, brackets secured to the second ring and to the rear frame to support the ring, and a resilient cushion between said rings resiliently to mount the transmission and the rear end of the engine.

RONALD K. EVANS. 

